


midwinter

by aaaadashi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 21:47:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17332937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aaaadashi/pseuds/aaaadashi
Summary: Lance is getting married, the war is over, and Allura needs someone to talk to.





	midwinter

Allura was tired. Admittedly, you would be tired if your kingdom had just barely won a war, but still Allura was exhausted. Without the help of the Galran Prince, Keith, the likelihood was that the Galran forces would’ve overwhelmed Altea easily, and that thought made Allura sick to her stomach. On top of that, her brother, Lance, was to be married to Keith, at the annual Solstice Ball, after which he would leave to Daibazaal to rule with Keith, leaving Allura alone to rule Altea by herself. She was exhausted, and instead of having time to rest and recuperate, she would soon be thrust head first into her new duties as Queen of Altea.

If only she could get a solid night’s sleep, everything would be fine, but no, she was too worried about everything that it kept her up at night. Every night, she finally gave up on sleep, and visited the staff. Tonight, was no different. She slipped out of her bed and padded across the soft grass of her bedroom floor, over to the large, hollowed out tree that served as her wardrobe. A warm breeze from the open window blew through her hair as she slipped on a thin robe over her nightclothes. 

Walking through the arboretum that served as her room, Allura slipped between rows of trees until she reached a thick trunked maple. Placing her hand on the trunk, she felt the hidden door swing open, and she stooped inside to a spiral staircase, leading down. She had discovered this tree a few weeks after the post war negotiations had finally settled down. Her room, which attuned itself to her thoughts, manifested her needs in the form of trees, and it had sensed that she needed someone to talk to. This newest tree gave her a direct pathway down to the staff quarters. 

The first time she had stumbled into their quarters, the staff were apprehensive at best, but as time went on, they had warmed to her. Evretta, the motherly cook and unofficial head of staff had taken Allura under her wing and introduced her to her daughter, Romelle. Romelle and Allura had become instantly close, and spent each night gossiping and laughing. 

Tonight, like all others, Allura arrives in the kitchen and is greeted by the comforting smells and sounds of the bustling workplace. She heads over to the big window where Romelle sits, and sits at her feet, where Romelle begins braiding and unbraiding Allura’s long, silver tresses. Since the moment the two girls met, Romelle has loved Allura’s hair. At first she was shy about her interest, timidly asking if she could braid it, but Allura found it to have such a cathartic effect, that it became a signature part of their nightly routine. 

“So, Allura,” Romelle asks, working her fingers through Allura’s hair. “How is the wedding planning going?”

“Oh holy Freja,” Allura curses, dramatically flopping backwards into Romelle’s legs. “Goddesses give me patience with my dear, sweet brother.”

Romelle’s laugh is bright, and sends a jolt through Allura’s stomach that she doesn’t care to think about. “What has he done this time?”

“About four months too late he’s finally, decided on the theme for the wedding.” 

At this announcement, the whole kitchen goes quiet, waiting until Romelle asks the question that they have all been wondering. “Well, what is it?”

“A bleeding masquerade!” Allura bursts out. “We’re all to wear masks with the exception of the grooms. Lance wanted to make them stand out.”

The rest of the kitchen has burst back into their workplace chatter, and Romelle comments, “So extravagant, I wouldn’t have pegged Keith as a masquerade man.” 

“He isn’t,” Allura agrees. “But he and Lance are so disgustingly in love, that Keith wouldn’t even try to argue. I’m thoroughly convinced that the war is only over because the two love each other so much.”

The night wears on, and the the two girls continue talking, along with spending time in comfortable silence. Eventually, Allura’s eyes begin to droop, the warmth and chatter of the kitchen luring her into a sleepy sense of security. She yawns and stretches, standing up. “Goodnight everyone.”

A chorus of “Goodnight Princess,” follows her across the room. Every night, Romelle walks with Allura to the base of the stairs, and it is here that they stop and part ways. Tonight, however, is different.

“Romelle,” Allura says softly, so as not to attract the attention of the gossipy staff. “I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to my room tonight. Obviously you don’t have to, but I thought maybe if you wanted-”

“Of course princess,” Romelle bushes and ducks her head.

The two girls wind their way back up the staircase and emerge into Allura’s moonlit woodland. They slowly make their way through the trees, and Allura feels an incredible sense of fondness as she watches Romelle marvel at the great arboretum. They reach the clearing that serves as Allura’s main living space, and she hangs her robe upon a branch.

Romelle hangs back at the edge of the clearing as Allura slips into her great, canopied bed. Allura had not expected the other girl to come farther than the stairs with her, and is at a loss for what to do. 

“I could stay,” Romelle hesitantly suggests hesitantly, before hastily adding a “But only if you want me to.”

Allura smiles and pulls back the covers, allowing Romelle to tentatively slip in next to her. As soon as she is in bed, Allura curls up against her. Romelle makes a slight noise of surprise, but gently wraps her arms around the princess. Held I. Romelle’s arms, Allura feels an incredible sense of warmth and security, and is easily lulled into sleep. 

For the first time since before the war even started, Allura has no dreams.

***

Allura wakes the next morning, and looks over to her clock, startling when she realizes that she has slept far into the morning. Romelle is gone, but Allura can still see the indentation in the bed where the other girl laid next to her. She stretches hugely and yawns, feeling fully rested for the first time in what feels like forever. 

“Good morning sleepy,” the chuckling voice of her brother causes Allura to jump nearly a foot out of her bed. 

“Lance!” she reprimands. “What are you doing?” 

“I could ask the same of you,” he raises his eyebrows. “The cook’s daughter?”

“Oh shut up,” Allura gets out of bed and aims an easily dodged kick at Lance’s leg on her way over to the wardrobe. “Nothing happened you pervert.”

“If you say so,” Lance smirks. 

“Oh shush,” she throws a shoe at his head. 

“Hey!” Lance ducks, the shoe barely missing his face. “Don’t mess up the face of the man who’s getting married in a month.”

“A month?” Allura if filled with despair at the thought of being abandoned so soon. 

“A month,” Lance agrees dreamily, sounding far more excited at the short amount of time left. 

Allura steps out of her wardrobe in a long, navy slip, with her hands on her hips. “In other news, why are you in my room and what did you do to Romelle?”

“Oooh Romelle,” Lance laughs, sobering as Allura raises her arm to throw a second shoe. “Oh, don’t worry about her. I sent her back to the kitchen. But Allura, I’m hurt. Don’t you know why I’m here?”

“No, I’m sure I don’t…” Allura trails off, a look of horror dawning on her face. She goes pale and drops into the chair that her room conjures up for her, head in hands. She knows what it is, today Lance is leaving until the wedding, to make the final preparations on Daibazaal. He and Keith will only be back for the week of the wedding and coronation before they move into the Galran palace, and they are going to oversee the preparation for Lance’s move. “It’s not today, is it,” Allura moans piteously. 

“It is,” Lance looks concerned. “I came to say goodbye, but ‘Lura, we can postpone it if you need us to.”

“No, no,” Allura is hasty to clear up his concern. “I want you and Keith to have a perfect wedding and if that means you going to Daibazaal and preparing for the move to make this a stress free transition, then that is what is going to happen. Don’t you even worry about me. Now, let me finish getting dressed and I’ll walk you two to the ship.”

Seeing as she isn’t actually going to be in the public eye, Allura only has to throw on a lightweight cloak over her slip before she is ready to join Lance in the hallway. “So,” he smirks at her. “Romelle?”

“Stop that,” Allura swats him on the shoulder. “We’re just friends.”

“Sure, and just friends cling to each other in their sleep.”

“We were not clinging!” Allura is indignant. 

“Fine,” Lance laughs. “ Let me rephrase: she had her arms around you and you were holding on to her arms.”

At this point, Keith joins the bickering siblings, slipping his hand into Lance’s. “Who had their arms around Allura?” He raises a curious eyebrow. 

“Romelle,” Lance waggles his eyebrows, and Allura hits him again.

“The cook’s daughter?” Keith asks. “Damn girl.”

“Arrrrghhh,” Allura groans. “Not you too!”

Keith just laughs, and the trio arrives at the jetport. 

“Hologram me as soon as you get there,” Allura instructs the couple. “And keep me updated.”

“Of course,” Keith hugs her and walks to the aeroship, giving Lance and Allura a space to say goodbye.

“Promise me you’ll let me know if you need anything.”

“Allura,” Lance assures her. “You have nothing to be worried about. I’m the one who should be worried.” 

“Don’t you dare let me ruin your premarital festivities,” she threatens teasingly. 

“Fine, but don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,” Lance shoots back with a grin.

The two embrace, Allura closing her eyes and praying to the Goddesses to not let Lance see how stressed she is. She finally lets go, watching as Lance walks away and joins Keith at the bottom of the gangplank, the two men joining hands as they ascend.

***  
In the following days, Allura is thrown into preparations for her coronation, which will be a week after the wedding. She has been focusing most of her concentration on the wedding, but with the fiancés out of the palace, attention shifts to her official ascent to the throne, although it is no secret that she has been running the kingdom since her father fell in battle. Allura is ready to bear the full weight of queenhood, and she wishes that she could go without the ceremony, but she knows it will appease the people.

Allura is so drained in the evenings, that instead of her going to the kitchens, Romelle comes to her. Every night the two girls lay in bed, Romelle playing with Allura’s hair and talking, Allura listening and unwinding. Mostly, Romelle talks about her school, she’s training to be a doctor, and although Allura doesn’t fully understand all of the medical and biological terms, she loves hearing Romelle passionate about something and seeing the way that her eyes light up when she’s excited. Most nights Romelle stays until the morning, and Allura gets so used to waking up next to her warm presence, that she begins settling into a dangerous sense of normalcy. Allura knows that she can’t keep this forever unless she makes a move, as much as it scares her.

One night, about a week before the wedding, Allura works up her courage and props herself up on her elbow, looking down at the blonde laying next to her. “Hey, Romelle?” 

“Yeah?” Romelle reaches her hand up and lazily twirls a strand of Allura’s hair around her fingers. 

“Would you want to be my date to the wedding?” Allura’s stomach is in knots.

Romelle’s hand stops its rhythmic motions as her eyes widen in shock, before a slow smile spreads across her features. “I’d love to.”

***  
The days until the wedding pass like a blur; finalizing plans, overseeing decorations, welcoming the grooms, the two men glowing with happiness and excitement. The day finally comes and Allura dresses herself in a strapless navy gown that cascades to the floor in many layers of tulle, dotted with tiny gold stars that shimmer as she moves. Her mask is gold, with delicate blue lace trim, and she wears dancing slippers of a soft, gold silk. She leaves early to go and greet the ushers in the outdoor atrium where the wedding is being held, before going to join the wedding party in an antechamber. 

The grooms had decided that they didn’t want a huge wedding party, and thus, it only consists of Keith, Lance, Allura, and Keith’s adoptive brother and mentor, Shiro. Allura and Shiro are dressed in the traditional wedding colors of the Galra and Alteans, navy for Alteans and Gold for Galra. While Allura wears a majority navy to signify her Altean heritage, Shiro wears mostly gold. His tunic is woven of a glittering gold, with navy embroidered runes from the Marmora tribe of his and Keith’s heritage. His mask is navy, with gold feathers. Shiro and Allura wait in the in the antechamber, talking softly, until Lance appears in the doorway, glowing with happiness in his white wedding robes, woven with Altean and Galran symbols of prosperity and unity.

Shiro leaves then, to walk Keith down the aisle, and Lance and Allura are left alone together.

“How are you feeling?” Allura asks.

“Like my life is about to begin,” Lance replies, his eyes shining with excitement. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Allura hugs him. “You and Keith are wonderful together.”

“Thanks ‘Lura,” Lance pulls back and smiles at her. 

Allura hears bells chime and holds out her arm, “That’s our cue.” Lance takes a deep breath and takes it, then the two siblings walk out of the room, and down the aisle. The guests stand as the royal siblings approach. Romelle catches Allura’s eye and winks. Allura smiles back, thinking of the night to come. She feels Lance gasp next to her as he sees Keith, the Galran prince standing at the altar in matching white robes, his hair braided with gold. She looks over at her brother, seeing tears of joy welling in his eyes and feels an incredible sense of fondness for him, her baby brother, her most trusted confidant, her best friend. The two reach the end of the aisle, and Allura hands her brother off to his life partner, knowing that the two will be happy with each other, and that Lance couldn’t have found a better match. 

***

After the ceremony, the pictures and the rituals, Allura is finally able to reach Romelle. They dance under the stars and, on the night of her brother’s wedding, in the arms of a wonderful person, Allura has never felt more fulfilled, her heart bursting with joy, love and pride. Romelle is stunning, in a deep green gown with silver embellishments that match her silver mask. Towards the end of the night, the two find themselves in a garden, sitting on the edge of the fountain and talking quietly. 

Romelle puts her hand on Allura’s cheek and Allura leans into the touch, smiling at the beautiful blonde. Allura places her hand behind Romelle’s neck and leans in. Their lips meet and Allura loses herself in the joy of the night, closing her eyes. She may have a coronation mere days away, and a kingdom to run on her own, but for now she is merely a girl in love, and that is enough.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my 2018 voltron secret santa for @kpopisrulingtheworld on instagram. i hope you like it!!


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